History Main / AppeaseTheVolcanoGod

* In ''[[WesternAnimation/GarfieldSpecials Garfield in Paradise]]'', the volcano rejects the usual virgin (Princess Owooda, a Pacific Islander doppelganger of Jon's crush/future girlfriend Dr. Liz) and her cat and requests Jon's rental car instead (a vintage Cadillac from TheFifties).

* Attempted on ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyBravo'' and failed. As they ask the Goddess to accept their offer of a virgin - Johnny simply went "Virgin?" [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar Then the volcano erupted]].

** One of the most famous ''Gilligan'' episodes concerns some local people who may have occasional contact with civilization. They need a White Goddess to "marry" their volcano god. The castaways agree that one of the men should disguise himself so the ceremony can proceed up to a point, with the rest of the men following the procession from a distance. This leads to what is probably the most famous GilliganCut in the series (there were several).

%%* This almost happened to Octo in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/AlmostNakedAnimals''.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/CampLazlo'' reveals that the campers and staff at Camp Kidney sacrifice whatever their favorite food is to a volcano called Mt. Blackhead--when Lumpus selfishly refuses to sacrifice his chicken pot pie (endangering not only himself, but everyone else at the camp as well), the volcano (which can apparently talk) threatens to erupt unless Lumpus sacrifices his chicken pot.
* Appears during Bright Eyes' ImagineSpot ''twice'' in the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTales'' episode "Ponies in Paradise".
* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'' played with this once, with the idea of the angry volcano god being used as a distraction and a front for evil activity by the episode's villain.
* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' also did this in one episode.
* In one of the Chaos Emerald Saga episodes of ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'', Robotnik sacrifices Scratch and Grounder to Magma the Volcano God in order to obtain a Chaos Emerald from him. Since Magma's lava is really volcanic mud, Scratch and Grounder survive.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' has Bikini Bottom threatened by a bizarrely close volcano. An expert on the subject states that the sacrifice must be the most miserable person in town, which is Squidward, but at the end the volcano somehow gets plugged with his house, which is what he actually meant before he was interrupted.
* In [[Recap/PinkyAndTheBrainS1E5 one episode]] of ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'', the Brain plots to turn an island he believes is uninhabited into the nation of Brainania, which displeases the island's natives who accuse the Brain of believing himself to be greater than their volcano god. The Brain gains the natives' approval by claiming to be a devotee of said volcano god.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheDayMyButtWentPsycho'': In "Silas Says", [[TheDitz Deuce]] orders a group of mind-controlled butts to toss ''him'' into a volcano.
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/AllHailKingJulien'', one of evil genius Karl's plans to defeat Julien involves impersonating the lemurs' sky god Frank to deliver a message that the Volcano god Larry (Frank's brother) is angry and demands Julien be sacrificed to him.
* In ''Series/TheSuperMarioBrosSuperShow'' episode "Too Hot to Handle", there ''is'' an actual fire god inside the volcano... Until King Koopa captures and impersonates him, demanding Princess Toadstool be thrown into the volcano as part of yet another attempt to kidnap her. In spite of Mario, Luigi, and Toad's best efforts, the natives succeed in throwing Toadstool in, at which point King Koopa's mooks catch her and take her to him.
* The ''WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans'' episode "Legend of the Volcano Sisters", revolves entirely around the boys' attempts to appease the titular Volcano Sisters, portrayed by Uniqua and Tasha, in order to stop them from pressing a BigRedButton that will make the volcano erupt. As it's a show aimed at preschoolers, nobody is sacrificed, and the girls are appeased by being invited to the boys' luau.

* Also Parodied in the first issue of ''ComicBook/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice''.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Violine}}'', the pygmies plan [[ShrunkenHead to shrink the heads]] of their captives on top of an active volcano, complete with temple.

* Subverted in ''Film/JoeVersusTheVolcano''.

* In ''Film/NimsIsland'', Alexandra is writing a scene where Alex gets captured by natives.

* Parodied in Creator/CraigShawGardner's ''Slaves of the Volcano God''. His Cineverse series world runs on movie tropes.

* Subverted in ''Literature/AutobiographyOfRed''. A character explains that the villagers of his hometown once used to throw people into the nearby volcano -- not as sacrifices, but because occasionally someone would ''return'' from the experience with "[[CameBackStrong all their weaknesses burned away]]."
* In ''Literature/FortunatelyTheMilk'', this is one of the hazards faced by Professor Steg and the unnamed protagonist during their time-traveling adventures.

* The original script for the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E4TheDoctorsWife "The Doctor's Wife"]] began with The Doctor, Amy, and Rory as intended sacrifices for this trope. Budgetary concerns forced a change to simply being in the TARDIS, in flight.
* Played with in ''Series/AmericanGods'', Vulcan owns a gun factory with a [[NoOSHACompliance rather poor safety record]], and considers workers who fall in the smelters to be sacrifices. Mr. Wednesday even comments "someone fell in the volcano" when they pass by a funeral for one of the workers.

* Music/ToriAmos' album ''Boys for Pele'' references the volcano goddess Pele and the singer's belief that boys should be sacrificed to her.

* In ''TabletopGame/TikiMountain'', the players race to the top of the volcano for the honor of flinging themselves in and appeasing the Angry Volcano God.
* Happens in the West of ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', on the basis of there being actual Volcano Gods. And they are ''{{jerk|assGods}}s''.
* In the Brown Islands setting of the ''TabletopGame/DiscworldRoleplayingGame'', the locals have a habit of reassuring visitors that they stopped doing this ''ages'' ago. The bland vagueness of this reassurance leaves the visitors with an unsettling feeling that the islanders aren't really sure ''why'' they stopped, and may reconsider this decision at any moment.

* In the Maq'wa Urqu stage of ''VideoGame/KingdomRush: Frontiers'', a Savage Brute will periodically appear to sacrifice a [[DamselInDistress princess]] by throwing her into the volcano, which will cause the volcano to spit out lava and damage your troops. Killing him (by Reinforcements, Rain of Fire, or Battle Mecha missiles) saves you the headache (and you get an achievement).

* It looks pretty bad for Joe in ''Webcomic/DeepDiveDaredevils'', when High Minister Fajro Nadlo accuses him of stealing a sacred idol. The High Minister then announces that Joe is to be executed (without a trial or proof or anything).
* ''Webcomic/{{Oglaf}}'' has a two-page [[https://oglaf.com/magmachamber/ story]] about a rather picky volcano god.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker'' short, "Alley To Bali", a priestess seductively lures Woody and Buzz Buzzard to be a sacrifice to the local volcano god.
* Spoofed in ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop''.
** And on the WesternAnimation/{{Classic Disney Short|s}} "Hello Aloha"

* Referenced in ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' episode "Huffin and Puffin"; One of the characters ties up the penguins and attempts to trap them in a hollow plastic volcano in the lemur exhibit so that he can cause mayhem. Maurice notices and wonders aloud what is going on. Julian replies: "Someone is sacrificing penguins to the volcano...eh, these things happen."

* On ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', {{backstory}} reveals that members of the [[BasementDweller Trekkie cult]] were killed off years ago like this, i.e. "[[TakeThat the manner most]] [[NerdsAreVirgins befitting virgins]]."

* No sacrifice is shown, but an episode of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' had a psychologist secretly videotape the Griffin family highlighting their extreme disfunctionality. In one inexplicable clip of their living room Peter angrily slaps Chris (while both are wearing leaf skirts) yelling "Are you ''trying'' to piss off the volcano?!"
* The final challenge of ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama World Tour'' subverted this trope by using wooden effigies. The volcano was not amused.
-->'''Hawaiian Man:''' Oh no! Did you throw pineapples into the volcano? No, no, no, no! [[CantYouReadTheSign Did you not see the sign?]]
** Happens in the spinoff ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaPresentsTheRidonculousRace'': after [[BigBad Josee and Jacques]] return their cursed volcanic rock to Hawaii, a nearby volcano mildly reacts as a reference to this trope, signifying (in the Ice Dancers' minds) that they had been forgiven.

* A flashback on ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'' showed Jay Sherman and his then wife sunbathing on a tropical island on their honeymoon. He is then approached by some of the island natives:
-->'''Tribal Leader:''' I'm sorry Jay, but to appease the volcano we must [[VirginSacrifice sacrifice a virgin]].\\
'''Jay:''' ''[to his wife]'' Did you have to tell ''everybody''?\\
''[next scene: Jay is tossed into the volcano, but is "rejected" via eruption]''\\
'''Jay:''' ''[present day]'' [[AvertedTrope After that]], they had ten years of pestilence and plague!
* In the multi-part episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' where Grandpa Smurf led Papa Smurf, Smurf, Hefty, Handy, Greedy, Sassette (who had stowed away) to the "four corners of the world" to find the components to recharge the Long Life Stone, the last place was a tropical island inhabited by weird creatures with heads that resemble the Easter Island Moai. Apparently very xenophobic, these natives throw anyone and anything unusual that lands on their island to the volcano.
* Played with in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget''. In this case it wasn't virgins, but ''pineapples''. This being a MAD ploy, however, the sacrifice consisted of bombs disguised as pineapples.

* In ''{{ComicBook/Violine}}'', the pygmies plan [[ShrunkenHead to shrink the heads]] of their captives on top of an active volcano, complete with temple.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

[[folder: Literature]]

[[folder:Magazines]]
* The story of an allegedly RealLife human sacrifice to a volcano god is told in the article [[http://armstrongsperry.com/magazinework/world_mag_05-23-1926.shtml "Cast Alive into the Molten Heart of a Volcano",]] by Armstrong Sperry, printed in ''World Magazine'', May 23, 1926.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* Duke in ''ComicStrip/{{Doonesbury}}'' once controlled an island that sacrificed a virgin to the volcano every month. When that year's maiden fussed over her ceremonial outfit as though it were a prom dress, then backed out at the last second (saying, "Stop pushing, Daddy!") he ended the practice, and a host of plagues descended upon the region.
** The maiden's brother wanted to take her place. "I can be just as chaste as any dumb girl."
* Mocked in ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' with two clueless tourists being carried up a mountain by natives.
--> '''Tourist''': They just perked right up when we told them we were Virginians!
** In a different strip, mice are shown sacrificing one of their own to a mousetrap while imitating the same chants and rituals you see the traditional Volcano Sacrifice accompanied by.
** Another strip depicts a volcano erupting above a ski resort, with the two resort owners bickering over whose turn it was to go sacrifice the goat.

[[folder:Pinball]]
* A non-sacrificial version appears in the ''Pinball/GilligansIsland'' pinball, where players must stop Kona the Volcano God from erupting by finding ingredients for the Professor's Secret Formula Lava Seltzer, then deliver it before time runs out.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-4338 SCP-4338]] was a volcano god that the Wiki/SCPFoundation was able to keep pacified with monthly offerings of traditional tropical island food such as fish and fruits...until a careless employee dropped some junk food into a nearby lava flow, causing the volcano god to rise up screaming for chips, cookies, and chocolate. The Foundation exploits this to turn the god into an overweight couch potato too fat to escape its caldera, greatly reducing the cost and difficulty of containment.

-->'''Tribal Leader''': I'm sorry Jay, but to appease the volcano we must [[VirginSacrifice sacrifice a virgin]].
-->'''Jay''' (to his wife): Did you have to tell ''everybody''?
-->(Next scene: Jay is tossed into the volcano, but is "rejected" via eruption.)
-->'''Jay''' (present day): [[AvertedTrope After that]], they had ten years of pestilence and plague!

* This almost happened to Octo in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/AlmostNakedAnimals''.

* [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-4338 SCP-4338]] was a volcano god that the Wiki/SCPFoundation was able to keep pacified with monthly offerings of traditional tropical island food such as fish and fruits...until a careless employee dropped some junk food into a nearby lava flow, causing the volcano god to rise up screaming for chips, cookies, and chocolate. The Foundation exploits this to turn the god into an overweight couch potato too fat to rise up out of its caldera, greatly reducing the cost and difficulty of containment.

* SCP-4338 was a volcano god that the Wiki/SCPFoundation was able to keep pacified with monthly offerings of traditional tropical island food such as fish and fruits...until a careless employee dropped some junk food into a nearby lava flow, causing the volcano god to rise up screaming for gummy bears and Coca-Cola.

* Attempted on ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyBravo'' and failed. As they ask the Goddess to accept their offer of a virgin - Johnny simply went "Virgin?" then the volcano erupted.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain'', the Brain plots to turn an island he believes is uninhabited into the nation of Brainania, which displeases the island's natives who accuse the Brain of believing himself to be greater than their volcano god. The Brain gains the natives' approval by claiming to be a devotee of said volcano god.

* The ''WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans'' episode "Legend of the Volcano Sisters", revolves entirely around the boys' attempts to appease the titular Volcano Sisters, portrayed by Uniqua and Tasha, in order to stop them from pressing a BigRedButton that will make the volcano erupt. As it's a sho2 aimed at preschoolers, there's no virgin sacrifice, and the girls are appeased by being invited to the boys' luau.

* ''Series/MissionImpossible'': In "Cargo Cult", a white man is [[GodGuise posing as the son of the volcano god]] in order to use a native tribe as a slave labour force to work a gold man. After capturing several members of the IMF, he orders his followers to sacrifice Nicholas and Max to the volcano.

* Inverted in ''Literature/CodexAlera''. High Lord Kalare plays Piss Off The Volcano God and rigs it to erupt when he dies. [[spoiler:Then the First Lord pisses it off some more to make the volcano erupt early.]]

* Also Parodied in the first issue of ''SamAndMaxFreelancePolice''.

* In an add-on to ''VideoGame/DragonFable'' called "Archknight", [[spoiler: one of the princesses you rescue turns out to be a virgin sacrifice.]]
* The Tortage section of ''VideoGame/AgeOfConan'' features a slight variation, where a small amount of virgin blood (rather than a sacrificed virgin) is used to keep a volcanic eruption at bay. [[spoiler: The player character replaces this blood with blood from a prostitute at one point in the story, leading to a violent eruption.]]
* One of the levels in ''VideoGame/{{McPixel}}'' features an exploding volcano which needs to be appeased. [[spoiler: The solution is to throw [[ThisLoserIsYou yourself in the volcano]].]]
* In ''VideoGame/{{Battleborn}}'', MINREC is basically a robot volcano god and the whole Meltdown multiplayer mode is to appease him by escorting Minion sacrifices to "altars" so that they'll be recycled. Those that don't appease him, he'll smite in a fashion similar to what a typical volcano god does in the form of meltdowns.

* The Greek philosopher Empedocles threw ''himself'' into a volcano as a sacrifice when he was upset that the gods hadn't invited him to join them.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* There's a theory going back at least to Freud that {{Yahweh}} was originally a volcano god though, like Vulcan, he was offered animal sacrifices not human virgins.

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/CampLazlo'' had a [[AnimateInanimateObject talking]] volcano force Scoutmaster Lumpus to sacrifice his chicken pot pie when he didn't offer him the right food.

* On ''WesternAnimation/MadagascarEscape2Africa'', King Julien suggests a sacrifice to the volcano to bring back the water to the reserve. Melman, who thinks he's got only 24 hours to live, volunteers. [[spoiler: The shark chasing Mort gets "sacrificed" instead ]]

* "Fire-king" Sid, in ''WesternAnimation/IceAge2TheMeltdown''. Double-subverted in that the mini-sloths are well aware of the scientific reasons for a volcano erupting... but with the GodzillaThreshold passed, they still consider sacrifice to be "worth a shot".